Davangere DC office put on high alert after bomb threat email; searches find no explosives

Davangere: The Davangere district administration was placed on high alert on Tuesday after an email threatening to plant and detonate five bombs at the Deputy Commissioner’s (DC) office triggered panic and an immediate security response.

Following the threat, police conducted an intensive search of the premises with the help of the bomb disposal squad and sniffer dogs, but found no suspicious materials. Deputy Commissioner Dr G.M. Gangadhar Swamy confirmed that the threatening email was received on December 14 at the official email ID of the DC’s office.

The email claimed that five bombs had been planted in the building and would be exploded shortly. The message was reportedly sent under the name “Pakistan ISI Cells in Tamil Nadu Division” and alleged that the attack was intended to divert public attention ahead of political developments, including references to elections.

According to the DC, the email was written in poor English and initially went unnoticed as senior officials were attending a public programme. Once the message was seen, Additional Deputy Commissioner Shivakumar Sheelavant immediately alerted the police department.

Superintendent of Police Umaprashanth then mobilised teams from the bomb disposal unit and dog squad to conduct a thorough inspection of the entire DC office complex. “After a detailed search, the bomb squad confirmed that there was nothing suspicious anywhere in the premises.

This appears to be a hoax threat,” Dr Gangadhar Swamy said. He added that while the message caused concern, there was no need for panic, and routine office work continued after the checks were completed.

Police have traced the threat to a single email ID and have forwarded details to central investigative agencies for further analysis, including tracking the source and intent behind the message. Officials said strict action will be taken against those responsible for creating fear through false threats.

This incident is part of a recent pattern of similar hoax bomb threat emails sent to district offices across Karnataka. In the past few weeks, district collectorates in Tumakuru, Vijayapura, Gadag, Kolar and Mangaluru have received comparable threat messages. In all those cases, police investigations later confirmed that the threats were fake.

Authorities have appealed to the public not to panic over such messages and assured that all necessary security protocols are being followed. Police continue to investigate whether the repeated threats are linked and aimed at disrupting public administration through fear and misinformation.

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